Daily Sprout

Josie Garthwaite

Nov. 24, 2009 - 4:30 PM PDT
Nov. 24, 2009 - 4:30 PM PDT

Best Parts of the New Smart Grid Stimulus Awards: Smart grid analyst Jesse Berst sees three high points in the latest round of stimulus funding awards for smart grid projects: roughly 30 percent of the money went to long-overlooked utility-scale energy storage, much of the money went to projects that show how smart grid tech “can be applied to whole systems,” and that “push the frontiers” (rather than using existing technologies). — Smart Grid News

Race to the Top: “Toyota leads the hybrid race, General Motors and others are adding plugs to vehicles with liquid-fueled engines, but no major automaker has claimed the pure EV pole position.” Does the Nissan LEAF have the potential to propel the company to the top? — Autoblog

The Rolls Royce of EVs: Rolls Royce, “maker of luxury cars renowned the world over for their opulence is seriously considering having an electric version of its luxo-bargo Phantom on the road as early as next year…But will an electric Rolls work?” — Gas 2.0

Planet Getting Hotter, Faster: A new report from Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research suggests that the planet could be getting much hotter, much faster than anticipated only two years ago by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. — AFP

Cali Low-Carbon Fuel Standard on Deck: On January 1, California will implement a standard to boost cleaner fuels and punish the rest, establishing a carbon intensity baseline for gasoline and diesel sold in the state and progressively lower it each year. — Technology Review